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System and interconnect for making temporary electrical connections with bumped semiconductor components    
United States Patent5915977   
Link to this pagehttp://www.wikipatents.com/5915977.html
Inventor(s)Hembree; David R. (Boise, ID); Jacobson; John O. (Boise, ID); Wark; James M. (Boise, ID); Farnworth; Warren M. (Nampa, ID); Akram; Salman (Boise, ID); Wood; Alan G. (Boise, ID)
AbstractAn interconnect and system for establishing temporary electrical communication with semiconductor components having contact bumps are provided. The interconnect includes a substrate with patterns of contact members adapted to electrically contact the contact bumps. The substrate can be formed of a material such as ceramic, silicon, FR-4, or photo-chemically machineable glass. The contact members can be formed as recesses covered with conductive layers in electrical communication with conductors and terminal contacts on the substrate. Alternately, the contact members can be formed as projections adapted to penetrate the contact bumps, as microbumps with a rough textured surface, or as a deposited layer formed with recesses. The interconnect can be employed in a wafer level test system for testing dice contained on a wafer, or in a die level test system for testing bare bumped dice or bumped chip scale packages.
   














 Title Information Submit all comments and votes
 
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Drawing from US Patent 5915977
System and interconnect for making temporary electrical connections with

     bumped semiconductor components - US Patent 5915977 Drawing
System and interconnect for making temporary electrical connections with bumped semiconductor components
Inventor     Hembree; David R. (Boise, ID); Jacobson; John O. (Boise, ID); Wark; James M. (Boise, ID); Farnworth; Warren M. (Nampa, ID); Akram; Salman (Boise, ID); Wood; Alan G. (Boise, ID)
Owner/Assignee     Micron Technology, Inc. (Boise, ID)
Patent assignment
All assignments
Publication Date     June 29, 1999
Application Number     09/138,612
PAIR File History     Application Data   Transaction History
Image File Wrapper   Patent Term   Fees
Litigation
Filing Date     August 24, 1998
US Classification     439/74
Int'l Classification     H01R 009/09
Examiner     Abrams; Neil
Assistant Examiner     Patel; T C
Attorney/Law Firm     Gratton; Stephen A.
Address
Parent Case     CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a division of application Ser. No. 08/867,551, filed on Jun. 2, 1997.
Priority Data    
USPTO Field of Search     439/74 439/70 439/71 439/66 439/81
Patent Tags     interconnect making temporary electrical connections with bumped semiconductor components
   
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 References Submit all comments and votes
 
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 U.S. References
 
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5869974
Akram
324/754
Feb,1999

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Akram
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Lee
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2 - 4.99%
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 Technical Review Submit all comments and votes
 Claims Submit all comments and votes
 


What is claimed is:

1. A system for testing a semiconductor component comprising:

a testing apparatus comprising an electrical connector in electrical communication with testing circuitry;

an interconnect on the testing apparatus comprising:

a substrate;

a compliant layer on the substrate;

a contact member on the substrate comprising a conductive layer on the compliant layer, and a recess in the conductive layer configured to retain a contact bump on the component, the conductive layer having a peripheral edge configured to penetrate a surface of the contact bump to form a peripheral groove therein; and

a contact on the substrate in electrical communication with the conductive layer and configured for electrical communication with the electrical connector.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the compliant layer comprises an elastomeric material deposited in a pit in the substrate.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the system comprises a temporary package for the component.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the testing apparatus comprises a wafer probe handler.

5. A system for testing a semiconductor component comprising:

a testing apparatus comprising a plurality of electrical connectors in electrical communication with testing circuitry;

an interconnect mounted to the testing apparatus comprising a plurality of contact members formed on a surface thereof, each contact member comprising a stepped recess configured to retain and electrically engage a contact bump on the component, the recess comprising a conductive layer with a first peripheral edge proximate to the surface configured to penetrate and electrically contact the contact bump to form a first peripheral groove therein, and a second peripheral edge within the recess configured to penetrate and electrically contact the contact bump to form a second peripheral groove therein; and

a plurality of contacts on the interconnect in electrical communication with the contact members and configured for electrical communication with the electrical connectors.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the component comprises a wafer and the testing apparatus comprises a wafer handler.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the component comprises a bare die or a chip scale package and the system comprises a temporary package.

8. The system of claim 5 further comprising a compressible member on the interconnect for cushioning a contact force applied by the testing apparatus.

9. The system of claim 5 wherein the recess is configured to allow the contact bums to deform into the recess.

10. The system of claim 5 wherein a diameter of the first peripheral edge is selected to electrically contact a first contact bump having a first diameter or a second contact bump having a second diameter.

11. The system of claim 5 wherein the contact members are configured to electrically engage a plurality of contact bumps on the component in a ball grid array.

12. A system for testing a semiconductor component comprising:

a testing apparatus comprising a plurality of electrical connectors in electrical communication with testing circuitry;

an interconnect on the testing apparatus comprising a plurality of spaced arrays of contact members configured to electrically engage a plurality of contact bumps formed in a grid array on the component, each spaced array comprising a plurality of projections configured to retain a contact bump on the component in a space therebetween, each projection at least partially covered with a conductive layer having an edge configured to penetrate and electrically contact the contact bump and to form an elongated groove in a surface thereof;

a plurality of contacts on the interconnect in electrical communication with the contact members and with the electrical connectors.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein each contact member comprises at least two projections.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the component comprises a wafer and the testing apparatus comprises a wafer probe handler.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the component comprises a chip scale package and the system comprises a temporary package for housing the chip scale package.

16. A system for testing a semiconductor component comprising:

a testing apparatus comprising an electrical connector in electrical communication with testing circuitry;

an interconnect on the testing apparatus configured to establish electrical communication between the testing circuitry and the component;

the interconnect comprising:

a substrate;

a compliant layer on the substrate;

a contact member comprising a conductive layer on the compliant layer and a recess in the conductive layer having a peripheral edge configured to penetrate a contact bump on the component, with a diameter of the edge and a depth of the recess selected to electrically engage a first contact bump having a minimum average diameter, or a second contact bump having a maximum average diameter; and

a contact on the interconnect in electrical communication with the conductive layer and with the electrical connector.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the recess comprises a stepped member having a first peripheral edge proximate a surface of the substrate and a second peripheral edge within the recess.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the substrate comprises a pit and the compliant layer comprises an elastomeric material deposited in the pit.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the component comprises a chip scale package and the system comprises a temporary package for the chip scale package.

20. A system for testing a semiconductor component comprising:

a testing apparatus comprising an electrical connector in electrical communication with testing circuitry;

an interconnect on the testing apparatus configured to establish electrical communication between the testing circuitry and the component;

the interconnect comprising:

a substrate;

an elastomeric compliant layer on the substrate;

a contact member on the substrate configured to electrically contact a contact bump on the component, the contact member comprising a conductive layer on the compliant layer and a recess in the conductive layer configured to retain the contact bump, the recess and conductive layer forming a peripheral edge configured to penetrate a surface of the contact bump to form a groove therein; and

a contact on the substrate in electrical communication with the conductive layer and configured for electrical communication with the electrical connector.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the elastomeric material comprises silicone deposited in a pit on the substrate.

22. The system of claim 20 the recess comprises a stepped member having at least two peripheral edges.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein the component comprises a plurality of contact bumps in a ball grid array and the interconnect comprises a plurality of contact members.

24. The system of claim 20 wherein the component comprise a bare die or a chip scale package.
 Description Submit all comments and votes
 


FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to semiconductor manufacture, and more particularly to an improved interconnect for making temporary electrical connections with bumped semiconductor components such as wafers, dice and packages having contact bumps. Also provided are improved test systems and test methods that utilize the interconnect and methods for fabricating the interconnect.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various semiconductor components include contact bumps that provide connection points between the integrated circuits included in the component and the outside world. For example, bumped semiconductor wafers can include patterns of contact bumps. Singulated unpackaged dice, such as known good die (KGD), can a